Protecting personal data and controlling a distribution of personal data acquired by a pool cleaning robot

Abstract

A method for controlling a distribution of personal data generated by a pool cleaning robot, the method may include acquiring, by the pool cleaning robot, visual information that potentially comprises personal data; determining, by the pool cleaning robot, whether the pool cleaning robot received an authorization to output the visual information from the pool cleaning robot; and outputting the visual information from the pool cleaning robot only after receiving the authorization to output the visual information.

1 . A method for controlling a distribution of personal data generated by a pool cleaning robot, the method comprises:
 acquiring, by the pool cleaning robot, visual information that potentially comprises personal data;   determining, by the pool cleaning robot, whether the pool cleaning robot received an authorization to output the visual information from the pool cleaning robot; and   outputting the visual information from the pool cleaning robot only after receiving the authorization to output the visual information.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising: requesting to receive the authorization from an entity that is authorized to provide the authorization to output the visual information. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2  wherein the requesting is executed in real time; and
 wherein the outputting of the visual information comprises encrypting the visual information before the outputting of the visual information. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3  wherein the encrypting is executed by a hardware encryption module located in the pool cleaning robot. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 2  comprising storing the visual information within an internal memory of the pool cleaning robot until the receiving the authorization to output the visual information. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the internal memory is located within a tamper proof housing. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5  wherein the internal memory is located within at least one of a drive unit, a filtering unit and a controller of the pool cleaning robot. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 2  comprising deleting the visual information when not receiving the authorization to output the visual information within a predetermined period after the requesting. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising determining that the visual information potentially comprises personal data when estimating or detecting that a person entered a pool in which the pool cleaning robot is located. 
     
     
         10 . A method for protecting personal data, the method comprises: detecting, by the pool cleaning robot, a potential breach of privacy; and responding, by the pool cleaning robot, to the potential breach of privacy. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the responding comprises preventing from one of more sensors of the pool cleaning robot to sense sensed information. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the responding comprises sensing sensed information by the one or more sensors upon a reception of an authorization to sense the sensed information. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the responding comprises preventing the one or more sensors from outputting the sensed information to an internal memory of the pool cleaning robot. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the responding comprises outputting the sensed information from the one or more sensors to the internal memory upon a reception of an authorization to output the sensed information to the internal memory. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the responding comprises preventing an outputting of the sensed information from the pool cleaning robot. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the responding comprises outputting of the sensed information from the pool cleaning robot upon a reception of an authorization to output the sensed information from the pool cleaning robot. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the responding comprises removing personal data from the sensed information. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the responding comprises requesting to receive an authorization to sense the sensed information. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the responding comprises requesting to receive an authorization to outputting the sensed information from the one or more sensors to the internal memory. 
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 10  wherein the responding comprises requesting to receive an authorization to output the sensed information from the pool cleaning robot. 
     
     
         21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . (canceled)